Stories

Coming to the Rescue – A History of the Franklin Fire Department

In the early years of Franklin, the village of St. Martins was the site of a volunteer Fire Department House located at the intersection of Church St. and St. Martins Rd. Later, the firehouse was moved to St. Martin’s Square (Market Square) and then back again to St. Martin’s Rd.…

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Businesses of St Martins

THE EARLY BUSINESSES OF ST. MARTINS A windmill, a brewery, a general store, and a farm implement dealer—these were some of the early businesses of Franklin. Located in St. Martins, they provided products and services for the rural population of the area. Even though all four of these no longer…

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Pioneer Cemeteries – Reminders of The Past

When presenting the history of the Franklin area, the final resting places of its earliest settlers are sometimes overlooked. Often people pass by these cemeteries and are unaware of their existence or that these grave markers tell a story about the immigrant families that chose to settle in Franklin. What…

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Sacred Heart School of Theology

The Sacred Heart School of Theology, located on Hwy. 100 near Rawson Avenue, was originally known as the Sacred Heart Monastery and as a seminary for the training of men into the priesthood. It was originally built across the street from the present buildings. The original building was built in…

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When Ice Cutting Was Winter Work

PHOTO:  This is an old photo of the ice house that stood in St. Martins until 2008.  It was used as an ice house from 1850-1935. If this was the early 20th century it would be that time of the year when ice harvesting on the lakes, ponds and rivers would…

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An Old Fashioned Christmas

Experience the sights, sounds and smells of the holiday season as the Franklin Historical Society presents its annual Christmas celebration in Lions Legend Park. Children are invited to the Whelan School on Saturday, December 1 in preparation for the Christmas festivities. There they will make ornaments, decorate the school tree…

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A Call to Duty – A History of the Franklin Police Department

As Franklin changed from a township to a city in 1956, changes in its police department were also occurring. What was a quiet rural farming community now became a city of subdivisions, businesses and increased services. Along with that progress came the realization that the citizens of Franklin needed an…

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Living in the 1950’s “Franklin Style”

Franklin in the 1950’s still retained its rural landscape and its people were very self-sufficient. There was very little commercial development and its businesses centered around farm equipment stores, local general stores, gas stations and taverns. This is in contrast to the Franklin of today where families have easy access…

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Flying into Franklin: The City’s Aviation History

As a rural town and then a city, Franklin was fortunate enough to have two small airports within its boundaries and to have been the original home of the EAA –Experimental Aircraft Association — museum and international headquarters. It was after World War II that Franklin became the home of…

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A History of the “Free Thinkers” in Franklin

Many people are curious about the quaint old building that sits nestled in a grove of spruce trees off the corner of Ryan Rd. and 27th Street. The community surrounding that crossroad was known years ago as Painesville. It was on the border of Franklin and Oak Creek and settled…

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